Starling (21 page)

a-Casssandra?” Feliciana faltered, stepping back as if
she’d seen a ghost. Over the past few weeks, she’d
mostly recovered from her stint in the nunnery and her
ensuing homelessness. She had gained back some
weight, and bits of her blonde hair protruded from the sides of her

Cass had been preparing to wrap her former handmaid in an embrace, but pulled up short at the frightened look on Feliciana’s face.
“It’s me,” she whispered. “I’m all right.”

“But how?” Feliciana lifted her mourning veil and flipped it back
over her hat. She peered closely, lifting a hand toward Cass’s face but
stopping just short of touching her skin. For a moment, hope danced
in her bright blue eyes. “Is my sister also . . .” She trailed off at the
look on Cass’s face. “I see,” she murmured, her eyes going dead. “So
only you . . .”

“And Luca,” Cass said, wondering how Feliciana know that Siena
had been with them in the first place. But now wasn’t the time to prod
her. Feliciana was clearly distraught over the news.

Feliciana crumpled slightly, her shoulders hunching forward as
she lowered her veil back over her face.
Cass reached out for Feliciana’s hand. “Felciana, please,” she
begged. “I’m as heartbroken as you are, but Siena died a hero.”
Feliciana’s gaze seared into Cass from beneath her gauzy black
veil. Her cheekbones looked sharp enough to slice right through the
fabric. “She never should have been with you. How could you,
Cass?” Her voice went hoarse. “Were you really so naïve as to think
everything would turn out fine?”
“I didn’t force her,” Cass protested. “She wanted to go.”
“She wanted to go because she was obligated to you. She loved
you like a sister. She would have done anything for you.”
Cass knew that was partially true, but she also knew Siena’s love
for Luca had played a role in her decision to risk her life that night.
However, those feelings were private, and Cass would not expose
them in some feeble attempt to explain everything. She would not
speak ill of her beloved handmaid after her death.
Feliciana raised her voice slightly. “Did you use her affection toward you to coerce her into being your accomplice? Did you sacrifice
my sister for a man you might not even love?”
Cass glanced around before answering. The street was empty, the
ominous sky likely keeping people inside. A drop of rain hit her
cheek. “No,” she said. “It was not like that at all.” The barely formed
scab over the wound that was Siena’s death started to fall away. Cass
raised a hand to her chest.
Had
she thoughtlessly used Siena to get
what she wanted?
No, absolutely not. Siena knew the mission would be dangerous,
and she had wanted to come from the very beginning. All Cass had